SMA is the #1 genetic killer of children under the age of 2.
SMA is estimated to occur in nearly 1 out of every 6,000 births.
The gene mutation that causes SMA is unknowingly carried by 1 in every 40 people or nearly 8 million Americans.
There is currently no treatment and no cure, but the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) selected SMA as the disease closest to treatment of more than 600 neurological disorders.
Researchers estimate that we are as close as only a few years away from finding a treatment and/or cure.
Because scientists know so much about SMA, SMA is considered a 'model' disease with direct impact on research into many other diseases potentially benefiting millions of people.
For more information about SMA please visit Families of SMA website!
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